Improvement in windmills



z Sheets-Sheet 1 WHEELER...

WIND-MILL.

No.1 87,4 39.' Patented Feb. 13, 1877.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. WHEELER,0F BELOIT, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN WINDMILLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 187,439, dated February 13, 1877; application filed April 11, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. WHEELER, of Beloit, in the county of Rock and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Windmills; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a windmill, showing the vaneor rudder'and its connections, together with the pitman. Fig. 2 is a top-plan view of the same.- Fig. 3 is a detached view of a pitman. Fig. 4 is a sectional view, showing the lower thimble and the construction, with reference to eachother, of the hollow cylindrical stem of the vertical axis, and the ball-and-socket joint of the pitman; also, showing the anti-friction device in the top of the tower-thimble, upon" which the turn-table revolves. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of one of the flanged loops for connecting the shafts of the vanes to the wind-receiving surfaces. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the tower-thimble and anti-friction device. Fig. 7 is a detached view, showing more particularly the arrangement of the rock shaft, weight-bar, and operating-rod. Fig. 8 is a detached view, showing the rim fastenings or clips. Fig. 9 is a detached view, showing the method of connecting and securing the sections of the wind-wheel to the arms.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawings denote the same parts.

- My invention has for its object to improve the construction and operation of wind-wheel's, and more especially those of that class which are provided with flexible or hinged rudders; and to this endit consists, first, in the means employed for attaching said shafts to .the wind-receiving surfaces of the two vanes; second, in the construction of the hinge upon which the rudder turns; third, in the method of attaching the rudder-shaft and its connecting parts to the vertical axis of the windwheel; fourth, in the construction of a balland-socket joint for connecting the pitman and pump-rod, and in adapting said joint to the vertical axis of the wind-wheel, as well as for the passage of the cord or rod by which the rudder is operated; fifth, in the arrangement of a rock-shaft and weight, with reference to preserving a balance as the vane swings from its normal position sixth, in the employment of a link or pitman. as a connecting device from the; weight-bar to the op crating-rod, so arranged as to maintain the operating-rod always over the center, or nearly so, of the vertical axis; seventh, in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the anti-friction device; and, lastly, in the construction and arrangement of the fastenings by which the rims of the wheels are connected to the arms or spokes.

In the accompanying drawings, A A represent the four posts of the tower-frame,'carryingbetween them .the tower-thimble B, which receives the vertical axis of the mill. This tower-thimble is formed at its lower end with corner flanges projecting outwardly, so as to form a corner socket for the posts of the tower.

The upper end of the thimble is provided with similar flanges depending from a horizontal plate, which covers and rests upon the upper ends of the posts. The thimble is secured between the posts by the bolts on a a a, which, by forming a continuous connection of the posts, tend to draw them to a common center. formed a chamber for the reception of the anti-friction roll device, consisting of upright and horizontal rollers, held in position by a loosely-fitting ring, provided with suitable guide-chambers for the receptionof the rollers, as shown, which rim and rollers revolve with the turn-table. This ring. lies flat, and is recessed on the outer edge for the vertical rollers, and on the under face for the horizontal rollers, as shown in Figs. 4. and 6.

G is the vertical axis or turn-table of the mill,its lower end forming a cylindrical way for the back of the piston-socket, and formed at its upper end with a horizontally-projecting flange, which sets upon the upright rollers, and projects over the anti-friction device to protect it from sleet. The lateral pressure of the vertical axis is resisted at the top by the horizontal rollers, and at the bottom by a guide formed in the lower thimble.

D is a standard, attached to the rear edge In the upper end of the thimble B is .of the turn-table' flange, having horizontally- .projecting"rock-shaft hearings d (1, stops 8 s .to limit the swing of the vane, screw or pin 11, and socket 6?, by means of which the hinge or axis for the vane to swing on is formed. 7

H and I are the shafts of the tail-vane and side vane, respectively. They are each formed of metal tubing, and secured to the wind-recei-ving surfaces K K by means of the flanged eyes L L and set-screws m m, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. v p

E is'a triangular vane-support, witha pin at its lower end to engage with the socket d and a socket at its upper end to'receive the screw or pin 01 F is a socket formed in the vane-su port to receive the end of the rudd erstem, which issecur'ed therein by the eyebolts or staples e 0. This socket may be constructed in the form of a hollow cylinder and the midder-stem fastened therein by means of setscrews through the shell of the cylinder, or a half-box and bolt may be employed to hold the stem in the socket F. The vane-support E is'further formed near its rear corner with a cross head to receive the tension-rods W of the vane-stem, and. an-offset, 'w, to which the link x is connected by means of the link-pin Iv)" also with a stop, F,'proje'cting from its base to restrict the lateral swing of the vane by contact with the stops s 8, formed upon the standard D. The opposite end of the linka; is joined to an arm of the r'ock shaft, whichis supported in thebear'ing d d, as shown in Fig. 2. The-rock-shaft terminates ina socket, g,

.which carries a transverse weighted bar, Z. To the outer end of the. weighted bar the weight '2 is adjustably'attached. To the inner end of the weightbar the link'z is hinged or jointed so as to project inwardly to a point over'or nearly over thecenter of the vertical axis of the'mill', where it is joined by a swivel to the vertical operating rod or cord. In the ascent of the weight 2 the link z! ranges downward into'the hollow cylindric stem of the h vertical axis, and. by being hinged at the weight-bar 'it'carries the operating rod in nearly a vertical line, without much lateral vibration. This feature I regard as of great importance, as by it the use ofchains and p'ulleys is avoided and the operatingrod is allowed to range freely up and'dow'n without cramping, as would be the case if attached directly to the weight-bar.

between the two semi-spherical half-boxes 0 0,

one of which halves having atits lower end an offset socket to receive the pump-rod the object of said offset being to hold the pump.

rod in such a posit'ion as not to interfere with the vertical working of the operating rod or cord. When the operating rod or cord is drawn it causes the vane to swing from its ball, half-boxes o o,-withtheofl'setbonfititibiis normal position (at right angles with theface of; the wind-wheel) through the med-ium of the Weight bar, rock-shaft, and link, the i gravity of the weight increasing proportionately to the degree of deflection of the vane, this movement of the vane and rock-shaft carrying the 1 weight further from'the center of the vertical axis o'f th'e niill, ina"dir'ection opposite to that of the vanes deflection, and thereby maintaining a uniform balance which would otherwise be disturbed by the deflection to one side. On releasing the operating rod or cord the gravity of the weight will return the vane to its normal position. Nitare'faste111iiffgs for theouter rims of the wheel, and are provided at their outer ends with flanges, which, being bolted to the arm or spokes in inverse position to each other, fornrasocke't twreeeive tlie. I

ends of outer r'innsof 'wheels betweefn them. These 'fasteni'ngs are connected by bolts passing transversely throughthe rims, and are secured to thearm or spoke inthefifianner as shown in Fig. 10. For additional urity the inner ends are provided'wifth de flanges to fit'over thejarm. Theinsideri tns of wheel aresecuredby flangedslips, W1", ass'hown in Fig. 10, with a boltpas'sin 'g' dentrally through them and thearm'at the {point of intersection of the rims.

' Having thus described my invention, wnat I desire to secure by Letters Patent is--'- 1. The flanged (inspects-oran -tneeressvided with a set-screw, asset forth.

2. The triangular 'vane support Ewan pin at its lower end and socket above; and fitte'd to the standard,as'set forth; I g

3. The vane-support E, adapted to receive the rudder-stem, in combinationwith thestap'les connecting t'he'parts, substantially "asst forth.

- 4. The vane-support E, formed witha crosshead to receive the tension-rods W,and=in combination therewith,'assetforth. v

5. The "vane-support, in combination --w-ith the rod wand bell-crank, and witht'he bar'and weight attached thereto, substantially "as described. 6. The bell-crank, connected to "the vanesupport; as described, incoinhination-withthe weighted bar Z, ar'm 'z, and vertical rod'connected therewith, as described.

" 7. The standard D,"formed' toholdthe vane support and bolted to the reanedgeofthe E is' the pitman connected eccentrically I at its upper end to the shaft D, and having a 1 hollow ball at its lower end which is embraced 'ball at itslower end, incombina'titin with tlie half-boxes 0 o and "their connections, asset.

forth. 7

11. The pitman E ,"having "the perfo ated and vertical rod passing through the ball, as

and rollers being adapted to the other parts of the wind-mill, as set forth.

15. In a windmill, a tubular iron vane-shaft, in combination with the clamps and bars which hold the wind-receiving surfaces, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. WHEELER.

Witnesses:

EDWARD P. WHEELER, R. TATTERSHALL. 

